Looking at the changes around the globe and specically in the healthcare system during the COVID-19, it is thought that COVID-19 was the cause for many of the changes. However, others had thought that COVID-19 is an accelera­tor of these changes that were to happen regardless of the occurrence of COVID-19. An example of these changes is the use of telemedicine and telehealth (Fig.59.1).

The emergence of COVID-19 tested healthcare organiza­tions for resilience by the ability to absorb the shock of COVID-19, respond effectively, adapt to the shock, change the structure of the organizations, and sustain day-to-day operations. These are the fundamentals of any resilient orga­nization [34]. In order for healthcare organizations to respond to COVID-19 and any future pandemics, they must ensure enough medical supplies, availability of workforce, having additional needed nancial support, abilities to deal with non-COVID-19-related issues (e.g., chronic medical condi­tions, cardiac cases, hemodialysis, and cancer care) [28], and utilizing digital solutions and other innovations to monitor and manage non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 patients.

The leadership style and activities during the COVID-19 pandemic had to adapt to making tough decisions without clear and solid data, go beyond the unknown, communicate effectively, integrate different activities and different hospi­tals, and deal with patient cohorting and staff shortages (Fig.59.2). The initial events of the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with lots of uncertainties and rapidly chang­ing information. These uncertainties dictate that leaders make decisions with less information and thus these deci­sions might not be optimal. These uncertainties many times touch the basic needs of individuals to feel safe. Many healthcare workers may act strangely and may not follow appropriate infection control measures due to fear. Leaders need to be equipped to move people from fear to actions to deal with the situation that might be full of emotions and irrational actions. Leaders need to change these situations from fear to positive situations, to practice creative abandon­ment, and to communicate clear directions, actions, values, and behaviors. This strategy allows actions to be gauged and redirected to the best solution rather than not doing anything. Leaders have to “Be First, Be Right, and Be Credible” in their communications [59]. The communication has to be up, down, and across for effective leadership [60]: upward com­munication to ofcials and governmental agencies, commu­nicating down to staff and the community, and communicating across to peers and other organizations [60]. However, such leadership might be further challenged by the need to work from home adding an additional factor and a burden in com­munication and management [61].